One Redditor did a lot with a little when they turned a narrow strip of ground outside their home into a native plant paradise.
Their post appeared in r/NoLawns, a subreddit whose community promotes alternatives to ordinary grass lawns. Many users replace their grass with native plants because they don't need much water or care to thrive — they're already in their natural habitat.
That's the route this user decided to take when they found a neglected patch of soil in their yard. "Before and after of this little strip that used to be grass and weeds on the side of my house," they said.
The "before" photo showed a tiny patch of dry, struggling grass. Most of the unpaved area was bare ground, with only a few weeds poking through. Dirt overflowed from the small bed onto the pavement next to it.
The "after" photo was practically a different place. Flourishing green plants covered the patch with ground-level straw mulch to help retain moisture. The resident had also tidied up the edges of the pavement for a clean, well-kept look.
"There are 11 different native plants in this little area," the Redditor said in a comment. "I'm filling my whole backyard with natives too, but I am very fond of my little strip."
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Commenters were particularly interested in the large, flowering yellow plant in the center. "I feel like I can almost name it but I am coming up short," said one user.
"Those are golden Alexanders," the original poster replied.
Other users congratulated the original poster on what they called a "drastic improvement," and one commenter said they wanted to see more like it.
"There are hundreds of these useless little plots of grass in every city," they said. "We the people need to step up and take it upon ourselves to make our world a better place for everyone."
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Readers who want help doing the same in their yards can contact Yardzen or another landscaping service that has experience with native plants.
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